Flushing system for food waste disposers



Oct. 5, 1935 NAUMAN ETAL 3,210,014

FLUSHING SYSTEM FOR FOOD WASTE DISPOSERS Filed Dec. 13, 1962 IN VEN TORS JOSEPH s. NAUMAN a 30 BY GERALD 5. FOX

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,Zl9,fil4 Patented Get. 5, 1965 3,210,014 FLUSHING SYSTEM FOR FOOD WASTE DISPOSERS Joseph G. Nauman, Dayton, and Gerald B. Fox, Troy,

Ohio, assignors to The Hobart Manufacturing Company, Troy, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 244,380 4 Claims. (Cl. 24141) This invention relates to flushing systems for food waste disposers, particularly those types of food waste disposer units which are used by commercial establishments such as restaurants, food markets, etc., to dispose of relatively large quantities of food waste.

In such units, the quantity of material handled by the disposer is rather substantial, and the unit is expected to operate efficiently with a minimum of attention by the operator or maintenance. As is well known, it is customary to supply flushing liquid, usually water, through the unit while it is operating. The unit then reduces the food waste, as by comminuting it into particles of sufliciently small size, to be carried by the flushing water through the sewer lines. Various systems have been proposed for continuing the supply of flushing water after the power to the comminuting device has been cut oif to stop the unit. The reasoning behind such arrangements is that if the comminuting device continues to function of its own inertia, as well as the inertia of the motor rotor, after power is cut off, any further food waste particles passing through the comminuting device will be carried through the sewer line, and any tendency to build up a plug of particles in the line will be avoided.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of a flushing system for such food waste disposers, wherein the flow of flushing liquid is initiated prior to starting of the cominuting device, as by energizing the motor, and in some cases wherein the flow of flushing water is also continued after power to the motor has been cut off, thereby assuring that the sewer line is flushed and clear before the disposer begins operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel flushing system, particularly for large commercial type food waste disposers, wherein the electric motor driving the disposer is energized in response to opening of a manually controlled valve in the line through which flushing liquid is supplied, and in which system a branch or bypass line for flushing liquid is arranged to direct flushing liquid into the food waste dispser for a predetermined time when the manually controlled valve is being opened, thereby to assure clearing of the sewer line as the food waste disposer begins its operation, and wherein flow through such bypass line is controlled by a time delay valve of the type which will permit flow to continue through it for a predetermined time after it is initially opened by mechanical actuation.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device wherein the time delay valve is mounted next to the manually controlled valve and mechanism is provided to open the time delay valve when the manually controlled valve is being opened.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic view, with portions broken away and shown in section, of a typical food waste disposer unit having flushing liquid supply connections in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the arrangement of a typical flushing system according to the invention, and showing the general relationship of the parts of the system;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the components of the system, showing particularly the relative position of the manually controlled valve, the time delay valve and the operating mechanism therefor;

FIG. 4 is another view of the components of the system, as seen from the right of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the actuator cam used to initiate opening of the time delay valve; and

FIG. 6 is a view of a modified form of the invention, showing a different operating arm and actuator cam construction.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a food waste disposer, preferably of the larger type used in commercial establishments, and having a drive motor 10 which may range in size, for example, from one to five horsepower. This motor is supported from the housing 12 which in turn rests upon a plurality of adjustable legs 13. Within the housing is a rotatable bowl 14 which cooperates with a stationary cutter ring 15 to form a comminuting device operating to reduce food wastes into relatively small particles. A typical unit of this type is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,836,369. Above the bowl 14 is a hopper 18, which preferably is formed integrally with the housing 12. On top of this hopper there is usually mounted a feed cone 19 into which chunks of food waste and similar refuse are dumped for disposal.

The chunks of food waste drop through the hopper 18 into the comminuting apparatus, where they are reduced into small particles that pass into the lower portion or chamber 20 of the housing 12, and are subsequently flushed into the sewer line 22. Flushing water supplied through a first branch line is directed downwardly through a U-shaped discharge tube 26 into the cone adapter 19, and flows through the unit to flush the parts thereof and particularly to flush the particles through the sewer line. The air space between the tube 26 and the cone adapter 19 provides a Syphon-breaker arrangement which prevents back flow of contaminated water from the unit into the line 25, as is required by many sanitation codes. A second or bypass branch line 30 is also arranged to receive flushing water, as will be described, during portions of the operation of the unit. This line terminates in a curved tube 31 which discharges across an air gap into a pipe 33, and this pipe extends downwardly to open into the lower portion 20 of the housing. Thus, the antisyphon air gap is provided between tube 31 and pipe 33, and flushing water supplied therethrough flows into housing 20 of the disposer unit, and flushes any particles collected therein, below the bowl 14, into the sewer pipe 22.

The electrical power supplied to the motor 10 is indicated schematically in FIG. 2 by the terminal wires 35 which extend to a suitable source of electrical power. These wires extend to a normally open double-pole pressure responsive switch 37 which in turn is wired in circuit with the motor 10. The switch 37 is of a conventional and well known type, including a pressure responsive device indicated generally at 38 (FIG. 4) which is subjected to the pressure of liquid in line 25. Thus, whenever there is suflicient pressure in this line, switch 37 will close to energize the motor 10. Upstream of the pressure responsive switch there is a manually controlled valve 40. This valve may be of any suitable type, such as a conventional ball valve, and may be directly controlled by the operator through a lever 42, as shown, or the valve may be manually operable through any suitable remote control. In most installations it has been found convenient to use the lever operated valve as shown, with the lever positioned adjacent to the disposer unit such that the operator can easily reach the lever, and by turning the valve on or off, accordingly control operation of the switch 37 and therefore control the power supply to the disposer unit.

The branch line 25, upstream of valve 46, is connected to a T fitting 44 which in turn is connected to a supply pipe 45. This pipe is adapted to be connected to any suitable source of flushing liquid, such as the normal water supply, and this supply is indicated in FIG. 2 by the arrow 46. The other outlet from the T fitting 44 is connected to the second or bypass branch line 30. Controlling the flow through this line is a normally closed time delay valve 50.

This valve is of conventional construction, and is known and used particularly in various types of flushing systems. The valve is normally closed, and when opened, as by pressing an operating button, it will permit the flow of liquid through it for a predetermined time, which can be adjusted, and then will return to its normally closed position. There are many types of such valves, and the usual arrangement of such valves includes a main valve member controlling the flow through the valve, a diaphragm or the like connected to control movement of the main valve member, and a pilot valve which controls the supply of liquid under ressure to the diaphragm and thus the position of the main valve member.

In the present arrangement, the operating button 52 of valve 50 is situated adjacent to the main manually controlled valve 40. The lever 42 includes an arm 55 on which there is mounted an operating cam 56. The arrangement is such that when the lever is moved between the opened and closed positions of valve 40, the cam 56 engages the button 52 and moves or depresses that button to initiate opening of the time delay valve 50. The contour of the cam block 56 is designed to assure that the button 52 is depressed for a time sufiicient to cause normal actuation of the time delay valve 50, even though the lever 42 may be shifted rapidly from one position to another.

The flushing system thus functions as follows. With the unit shut off, when the operator moves lever 42 to open valve 40, this initiates the supply of flushing liquid through the main branch line 25. At the same time, as valve 40 is opening this action has caused the time delay valve 50 to be opened and flushing liquid immediately flows through the second branch line 30 into the lower chamber of the disposer unit, and acts to flush any collected particles therein into the sewer line, and acts also to flush out the sewer line including the usual trap therein. In the meantime, as valve 40 is fully opened the pressure in line will rise sufiiciently to cause switch 37 to close, and this will close the power supply circuit to the motor 10. The disposer unit thus begins to operate, and the normal or running flushing liquid supply begins through line 25. After a time which is determined by the setting of the valve 50, this valve will close and flow through the bypass line will cease. Generally, it is desirable to maintain flow into this bypass line until the unit has been operating for several seconds, since this assures that the main flow of flushing liquid has progressed through the hopper and through the comminuting apparatus and is supplemented by the fiow through the bypass line to carry the initial flow of food waste particles into the sewer line.

During normal operation of the unit, valve 56 is closed and the bypass line is shut off. When the operator again moves the lever 42 to close valve and thus shuts down the unit, this will again operate the time delay valve Sit, and it again will open for a predetermined period to provide a supplementary flow of liquid through the bypass line 3%) as the unit shuts down, and preferably for a few seconds after the comminuting device has ceased to operate, thereby tending to wash particles out of the lower chamber of the housing even after the unit has completely stopped.

The supply of flushing liquid to the food waste disposer unit before it actually begins operation, and during the period that it comes up to speed, is particularly beneficial in that if the hopper 13 contains a substantial amount of food wastes, it is possible that the flow through the normal flushing line 25 will not build up to the proper volume,

particularly in the vicinity of the comminuting apparatus and beneath it in the lower chamber, at the same rate as waste particles are produced by the comminuting apparatus. Thus, there may be a tendency in such instances to create an initial plug or mass of particles in the sewer line when the flow of flushing liquid has not as yet reached the normal volume. The present invention overcomes any such possibility by initiating the supplementary flow of flushing liquid at this time. In this connection, it is, of course, possible to have the bypass line 30 discharge into the hopper 18, or directly into the sewer line 22, but the preferred arrangement is the one illustrated, where the bypass flow is directed to the lower chamber and thence directly into the sewer line.

The actuator arm and cam mounting shown in FIG. 6 is a modified arrangement which can be employed, as desired, to cause the time delay valve to be actuated only when the manually operated valve 4% is being opened, or conversely only when valve 40 is being closed. Thus, the arm shown in FIG. 3 is replaced by an arm which is divided into two sections 65a and 65b pivotally connected by a pin 66. One of these sections, shown as the section 65a, is provided with an abutment or stop piece 68 such that the sections of the arm present a rigid construction when the arm is swung in one direction, namely the direction indicated by the arrow 69. The section 65a carries an actuator cam block 70 for engaging the button 52 (the same time delay valve is used) and the section 652) is a rigid, preferably integral, part of the valve lever 42. The sections are also biased into the position shown in FIG. 6 by a conventional spring 72.

Thus, assuming that it is desired to actuate the time delay valve only when the manually controlled valve 40 is being opened, the arrangement will be such that rotation of the arm structure 65 during opening of valve 49 is in the direction indicated by arrow 69. As a result the arm structure 65 will be effectively rigid and the cam block 68 will engage the button 52 and cause the time delay valve to operate. Then, when the lever is moved in the opposite direction to close valve 40, the arm structure 65 will break around the pin 66, and against the force of the spring '72, and the time delay valve 50 will not operate.

Conversely, if it is desired to have a fiow through the bypass line only when the manually controlled valve is being closed, the arm structure 65 will be arranged such that closing movement of valve 40' will be in the direction of arrow 69, and the time delay valve will be actuated only during closing movement thereof, with the arm structure 65 being ineffective during opening movement of the manually controlled valve 49.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. In combination with a food waste disposer including a housing with a hopper to accept food waste and a motor driving a comminuting device beneath said hopper acting to reduce the food waste into small particles for flushing into a sewer line, a flushing system comprising a supply pipe adapted to be connected to a supply of flushing water, a first branch line receiving water from said supply pipe and discharging into said hopper, a manually operable valve in said first branch line arranged for opening and closing by an operator, circuit means controlling the supply of power to said motor including a normally open pressure responsive switch in said first branch line downstream of said manually operable valve and arranged to energize said motor only upon opening of said manually operable valve, a second branch line extending from said supply pipe and connected to discharge into said disposer, a normally closed time delay valve in said sec- 0nd branch line, and means responsive to opening of said manually operable valve to initiate opening of said time delay valve for a predetermined time particularly to supply flushing liquid into said disposer prior to energizing of said motor.

2. A flushing system for a food Waste disposer including a housing with a hopper to accept food waste and a motor driving a comminuting device receiving waste from said hopper and acting to reduce the food waste into small particles for flushing into a sewer line, said flushing system comprising a supply pipe adapted to be connected to a supply of flushing water, a first branch line from said pipe discharging into said hopper, a manually operable valve in said first branch line having a control lever for opening and closing of said valve by an operator, circuit means including a pressure responsive switch controlling the supply of power to said motor and arranged to energize said motor only in response to pressure in said first branch line from opening of said manually operable valve, a second branch line extending from said supply line and connected to discharge into said disposer, a normally closed manually operable time delay valve in said second branch line, and means responsive to actuation of said control lever to initiate opening of said time delay valve.

3. A flushing system for a food waste disposer as defined in claim 2, including a device incorporated in said means to initiate opening of said time delay valve constructed and arranged to cause actuation of said time delay valve in response to movement of said control lever in one direction only.

4. A flushing system for a food Waste disposer as defined in claim 2, wherein said manually operable valve and said time delay valve are mounted adjacent to each other, and wherein the means to initiate opening of said time delay valve includes an extension from said control lever mounted to move past said time delay valve during movement of said lever to open and close said manually operable valve, and a button on said time delay valve positioned to be contacted by said extension on said control lever to actuate said button and initiate timed opening of said time delay valve in response to movement of said lever between positions opening and closing said manually operable valve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,402 6/41 Powers 241-36 X 2,785,863 3/57 Jordan 24138 2,880,941 4/59 Fox et al. 241-38 X J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FOOD WASTE DISPOSER INCLUDING A HOUSING WITH HOPPER TO ACCEPT FOOD WASTE AND A MOTOR DIRVING A COMMINUTING DEVICE BENEATH SAID HOPPER ACTING TO REDUCE THE FOOD WASTE INTO SMALL PARTICLES FOR FLUSHING INTO A SEWER LINE, A FLUSHING SYSTEM COMPRISING A SUPPLY PIPE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY OF FLUSHING WATER, A FIRST BRANCH LINE RECEIVING WATER FROM SAID SUPPLY PIPE AND DISCHARGING INTO SAID HOPPER, A MANUALLY OPERABLE VALVE IN SAID FIRST BRANCH LINE ARRANGED FOR OPENING AND CLOSING BY AN OPERATOR, CIRCUIT MEANSS CONTORLLING THE SUPPLY OF POWER TO SAID MOTOR INCLUDING A NORMALLY OPEN PRESSURE RESPONSIVE SWITCH IN SAID FIRST BRANCH LINE DOWNSTREAM OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE VALVE AND ARRANGED TO ENERGIZED SAID MOTOR ONLY UPON OPENING OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE VALVE, A SECOND BRANCH LINE EXTENDING FROM SAID SUPPLY PIPE AND CONNECTTED TO DISCHARGE INTO SAID DISPOSER, A NORMALLY CLOSED TIME DELAY VALVE IN SAID SECOND BRANCH LIND, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO OPENING OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE VALVE TO INITIATE OPENING OF SAID TIME DELAY VAVLE FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PARTICULARLY TO SUPPLY FLUSHING LIQUID INTO SAID DISPOSER PRIOR TO ENERGIZING OF SAID MOTOR. 